The activities of the Artha Rin Adalat in Chittagong are being hampered in absence of its judge, Bangladesh Human Rights Foundation (BHRF)'s Chittagong Chapter said Monday.
Artha Rin cases involving several billions of Taka remain pending at the court due mainly to absence of the single judge, it said.
There was no judge at the Adalat since October 24, 2013 as nobody was appointed to the post after its last judge was promoted to another court on the day.
Earlier, the post was also remained vacant for three months since October 3, 2012, after the then judge retired, the body said in a press release.
Frequent vacancies of the judge at the Adalat are increasing the number of the pending cases; currently, around 2,010 cases remain pending for disposal at the court in the country's commercial capital, it said.
"Due to the disruption of disposal of Artha Rin cases, multiple problems are emerging including: the banks cannot realise funds through selling properties of the loan defaulters," Advocate AM Zia Habib Ahsan, president of the BHRF, said.
Mr Ahsan, who is also legal adviser of several banks, said that the banks also cannot transfer their Artha Rin cases to other courts due to legal bar.
"Artha Rin Adalat was set up for quick disposal of cases so that the financial institutions especially the banks can realise their fund from the defaulters. But, the frequent vacancies of judge at the Adalat are hampering the purpose of its establishment," Mr Ahsan, also a practitioner at Adalat, told the FE.
In many cases, permission of the Adalat to sell perishable goods and properties as urgent at the port city, but it was obstructed and in many instances not possible due to do the absence of judge, he said.
He further said that earlier there were four such courts in Chittagong. The number was reduced to one now, which is seriously hampering quick disposal of the cases.
Saying that the additional district judge was given the charge of the Artha Rin Adalat in addition to his regular responsibility there, the judge's orders in Artha Rin cases earlier declared illegal by the High Court, because only the judge, who is appointed specifically for Artha Rin cases, is empowered to deal with such legal matters.
Expressing deep concern at the frequent vacancies of the judge at the lone Adalat, the BHRF's Chittagong Chapter called upon the Chief Justice and the Law Minister to appoint the judge immediately.
The body also demanded the authorities increase the number of the Artha Rin Adalat at the port city for the sake of quick disposal of the cases relating to the banks, financial institutions and other companies.
